Refrigerating system.



No. 641,6l5. Patented Jan. l6, ueoo. m. m. SUPPES & J. m. mmcn.

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM" (Application filed Dec. 27, 1897.) (No Model.)

R 5 Perms 00.. rucmzumoqwsx NITED STATES PATENT Orrice.

MAXIMILIAN M. SUPPES, OF ELYRIA, AND JOHN M. DORTCI-I, OF CLEVELAND,OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE COOHRAN COMPANY, OF LORAIN, OHIO.

REFRIGERATING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent no. 641,615, dated January16, 1900.

Application filed December 27,1897. Serial No- 663,776. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, MAXIMILIAN M. SUFPES, of Elyria, in the county ofLorain, and JOHN M. DORTCH, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga,State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRefrigerating Systems, of which the followv ing is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to that part of a refrigerating system in whichthe active ele ment begins to expand from a high pressure to a lowpressure.

In the following description of the object and nature of our inventionwe shall for the sake of brevity and convenience refer to a system inwhich liquid carbonic acid is the refrigerating element; but it is clearthat our invention is equally applicable to systems which use otheractive elements, such as ammonia.

The object of our invention is to prevent the formation of ice or frozencarbonic acid in the valve or orifice which separates the compressionand the expansion sides of'the system.

The pipe which is between the expansionvalve and the refrigerating-coilof the usual refrigerating system soon becomes coated with ice or snow.This occurs because the expansion of the carbonic acid absorbs heat fromthe said pipe, reducing its temperature to such an extent that themoisture of the atmosphere freezes upon it. After a time this alsobecomes true of that part of the system which directly surrounds theorifice between the two sides of the system, for heat is absorbed fromthis part of the system both by conduction from the aforesaid pipe andfrom the expansion of the carbonic acid in proximity to the saidorifice. This coating of ice or snow about the casing surrounding theexpansion-orifice serves by its heat-insulation properties to maintainthe valve-chamber and surrounding parts at an extremely low temperature.The expansion of an element is always accompanied by absorption of heat,and part of this heat may be absorbed from that part of the unexpandedelement-itself which is immediately behind the expanded portion. Underfavorable conditions this may take place to such an extent that itwill solidil'y the unexpanded element. We have found that suchconditions are sometimes present in refrigerating systems. At such timesas the carbonic acid is expanding very rapidly and the casingsurrounding the expansion-"orifice is extremely cold the doubleabsorption of heat from the liquid carbonic acid by the-expandingcarbonic acid and by the surrounding casing so lowers the temperature ofthe liquid carbonic acid that solid carbonic acid is formed, whichchokes the expansion-orifice. We have found that it is only the coactionof the ice-covered casing and the rapid expansion of the carbonic acidthat causes this difficulty, for at such times as the expansion-orificehas become closed in this manner we have been able to quickly melt theobstruction by removing the ice or snow from the casing surrounding theexpansion-orifice.

It is, therefore, the object of this invention to provide means wherebythe formation of ice or snow on the outside of the expansionvalve may beprevented, and such means we describe in the following specification andshow in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of anexpansion-valve which embodies the principles of our invention. Fig. 2is a vertical section through the center of the same. Fig. 3 is a planview of the same. Fig. 4 is a partial section showing a modified form ofour invention.

The liquid carbonic acid from the condenser enters the expansion valveat A, passes through the orifice B, expanding as it passes through thesaid orifice, and passes out of the expansion-valve, as at O, to theexpansioncoils of the system. The condenser, expansion-coils, and otherparts of the system are too well known to require illustration ordescription.

D is the valve-stem, which is shown in its raised position. Ordinarilythis stem would be lowered sufficiently to partially close by means ofits tapered lower end d the orifice B.

We have shown a valve of a specific construction comprising the membersE, F, and G, secured together to form the casing and provided withsuitable packing. As the mechanical construction shown does not form anypart of our invention and is one that is familiar to those skilled inthe art,we do not here describe it in detail.

To the member E we secure the vessel E, preferably by forming a unitarycasting comprising both E and E. This vessel surrounds the valve-casingand is partially filled with a heavy oil F. This oilshould be a fairlygood heat-conductor and should have a low freezing-point.

By the provision of the vessel containing oil no congealed insulator canform on the outside of the valve-casing until the temperature falls tothe freezing-point of the oil F. This need not occur in practice.Moreover, the large area of the cup E and the oil F e11- ables them toabsorb and convey to the valveeasing sufficient heat to keep thetemperature within the valve well above that at which there is danger ofsolidification occurring therein.

In Fig. 4 we show a modified form of our invention which is somewhatsimpler than the previous form, but which we have found to be thoroughlyeificient in practice. In this form we do not increase theheat-absorption area directly around the valve-casing, but we form thelower member of the valve-casing E with a wide collar E, which we placedirectly below the orifice B and between it and the pipe 6, which leadsto the expansion coil. This arrangement is efficient because no ice orsnow would form on the valve-casing if it were not that the cold pipe Eabsorbs much heat from the casing E. By the provision of the collar E insubstantially the position indicated sufiicient heat is absorbed fromthe air through the collar to prevent the ice or snow from creepingupward over the valve casing.

\Vhile we have only shown two modifications of our invention, it must beobvious that other specific modifications will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art, and we do not, therefore, desire to be limitedto the specific means shown nor to the use of our invention with anyparticular type or system of expansion-valve. Even if a valve weredispensed with our invention would beequally applicable if only theheat-absorbing area which I provide is located in conjunction with thatpart of the system in which the active element begins to expand.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire toprotect by Letters Patent, is-

1. A valve-casing member, as E, containing the expansion-orifice of arefrigerating system, and comprising a passage from the high-pressureside of the system to the said orifice anda short pipe member leadingfrom said orifice, in combination with a heat-absorbing member ofcomparatively large area secured to the outside of the valve-casin gmember and adapted to prevent the formation of ice thereon.

2. A valve-casing member, as E, containing the expansion-orifice of arefrigerating system, and comprising a passage from the high-pressureside of the system to the said orifice, and a short pipe memberleadingfrom said orifice, in combination with a heat-absorbing member ofcomparatively large area secured about the said pipe member and closelyadjacent to said orifice and adapted to prevent the formation of ice onthe valve casing member.

3. A valve-casing member, as E, containing the expansion-orifice ofarefrigerating system and comprising a passage from the high-pressureside of the system to said orifice andashort pipe memberleading fromsaid orifice in combination with a collar of compara tively large areasecured about the said pipe member in close proximity to said orificeand adapted to prevent the formation of ice on the outside of the saidvalve-casing member.

4. In a refrigerating system, the combination with an expansion-valveand its casing having a pipe member connecting the expansion-orifice ofsaid valve to the refrigeratingcoil, of an ice-guard for said valve,comprisinga member of comparatively large area secured to the outside ofthe valve-casing adjacent to the valve, said member performing thedouble office of absorbing heat from the atmosphere and thereby preventundue reduction of the temperature of the valve-casing, and of a barrierover which the ice accumulating on the pipe member must creep in orderto reach that portion of the casing which intermediately surrounds thevalve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in the presence oftwo witnesses.

MAXIMILIAN M. SUPPES. 'JOIIN M. DORTCH. \Vitnesses:

Jos. H. CRAIG, G. N. FERGUSON.

